Academy for Medicine and the Humanities

Launched in 2012, the Academy for Medicine and the Humanities is a part of the Department of Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine. We serve the medical school by providing opportunities for didactic learning and independent scholarship in the medical arts and humanities. While most activities within the Academy are offered on an elective basis, student participation is strongly encouraged and will be recognized by the medical school.

The term "medical humanities" refers to the application of the arts and humanities to medicine. The humanities is a diverse area of study devoted to understanding and depicting what it means to be human. We believe doctors have a duty to confront not only the illnesses our patients bring to us, but also their suffering. By offering courses and scholarly opportunities incorporating art, music, writing, and philosophy, the Academy challenges our students to cultivate the empathy and reflective skills necessary for meaningful and therapeutic medical practice. Some Academy programs, such as the Art of Listening, are mandatory for all students. Students can participate more extensively, however, through elective course offerings at all levels of medical education, or by applying to the Medical Humanities track of the SCHOLaR program.